Wednesday, September 30, 2015

One of the most overwhelming tasks for women is downsizing your closet! If your dress code at work is business casual like mine, the majority of your closet probably consists of work attire.. unless you want to do laundry every 5 days. I am very envious of people who get to wear scrubs, or a work uniform every day because then I could spend my money on FUN clothes instead of what I will wear while sitting in an office.

Over time, so much clothing had followed me from place to place from high school, college, and beyond that my closet had become unmanageable and overflowing. I no longer could find some of my favorite staple pieces because they were hidden away in my small-village-of-a-closet. So on Monday for the first time ever I eliminated literally HALF of my closet. Yes ladies, it can be done! So here's how I did it and how you can declutter and minimize your closet:

1. Go through and remove all the not-this-season seasonable pieces. Since it's almost October, I removed all spring/summer items like seersucker, swim cover-ups, white pants, shorts, white skirts, sandals, etc. If it is spring or summer for you, remove all fall/winter items like sweaters, vests and boots- they take up so much room! Put them all into a bin (I got this one from the container store) and store it under your bed. There it will be out of the way until you can switch them out once the weather changes! The space under your bed is storage space that I always forget about!

2. I next had to decide what I wear the least from my closet.. which are cocktail dresses, formal dresses and ball gowns. These were taking up a lot of room and these beautiful dresses were just collecting dust.... I wish I had more occasions to wear these but I just don't! So I removed all of these and put them into a sturdy box labeled "formal/cocktail dresses". I stored the box at the top of my coats closet in the entry way of my home. Now if I have an event coming up I will go through the box ahead of time and get the dress dry cleaned for the event.

3. Use your bedroom drawers and shelves whenever possible. It is amazing what actually doesn't have to be stored on a hanger. I went through and took my skirts, tanks, dress pants and flannel shirts off of hangers and folded them onto shelves or drawers. These actually haven't wrinkled now that they're off the hanger- and they now won't hog up closet space!

4. Sell your stuff. The next step is what's really not fun.... getting rid of stuff. But these days you can make extra cash off your clothes and shoes which can be fun! You can sell your items at Plato's Closet (I have sold there many times), on Poshmark, eBay, at your local consignment store, or you could be extra brave and have a yard sale. Also look around to see if there are any charitable consignment events going on in your area- you could get a tax deduction for donating your old clothes to them!

5. Donate your stuff. Sometimes you just have to force yourself to toss stuff that you haven't worn or thought about in forever. Just throw it in a bag and take it to Goodwill.. you'll be much happier to have the extra room and it is very good karma for you since someone less fortunate that you will enjoy them!

6. Storage. There were a few items that may not fit anymore, but I couldn't part with. Stuff like my dress from my senior prom, my favorite dresses from college, my favorite jeans from high school, etc. I just can't give them away because they mean a little too much to me. So they were put into my storage room. This way they aren't gone forever but won't be taking up space in my closet!

So there you have it. Follow these simple steps and you will be a free woman like me! Now you won't feel overwhelmed while looking for an item or feel weighed down by years worth of clothing that you never wear!

If you have any other secrets for decluttering and minimizing your closet, please share them below!

Monday, September 28, 2015

This weekend Taylor Swift performed in Nashville for 2 nights for her 1989 tour! I tried to get tickets but since it sold out back in October, 2014, I didn't plan that far in advance and most decent tickets available were between $300- $500 each. So I couldn't swing it this year :( but I won't make that mistake again!

Taylor Swift is from Nashville (well right outside of Nashville- she went to Hendersonville High School) so I had a feeling that she would get some pretty big named surprise guests. On her previous shows across the country she has had guests ranging from Justin Timberlake to Selena Gomez, to Alanis Morissette. Well this time she didn't disappoint... she probably had her best guests yet!!! In case you missed the show (which most of us did) you can watch clips of her performances with special guests below!!

On Friday night she had STEVEN TYLER perform with her!!!

He just so happened to be in town to perform in the Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin. He also has spent a lot of time in Nashville recently because he has been working on a country album! I would have absolutely DIED from excitement! He is one of my favorite musicians/ celebrities ever... he is SO COOL! Watch below:

Also on Friday she had Allison Krauss perform with her...

I mean, wow!!! Look how happy Taylor Looks in the photo above. I have seen them perform together the song "Red" at the Grammy Awards with Vince Gill a while back..... I actually own their live version of "Red" on iTunes! Watch their performance this weekend of "When You Say Nothing At All" below:

On Saturday, the second night she played with the one and only...... MICK JAGGER!

Yes. Unbelievable. I wouldn't have guessed that artist.. can you imagine how shocked the audience was??? Watch the performance below:

Also on Saturday, Leona Lewis performed with Taylor Swift:

Taylor made a big speech about what a HUGE fan she is of her Leona Lewis's music.. watch the performance below!

Taylor then closed out the second night of her concert with "Shake It Off" ... watch below:

I am soooo mad I missed these concerts here in town... I mean really sad! But at least we all get to watch some of them on Instagram and YouTube, right?

Thanks for all that you do Tay Swift! I will always be the biggest fan of you and her music! What do you guys think of the performances? Let me know if you went to either of the shows!!

Friday, September 25, 2015

There is something really irresistible about a fabulous plaid shirt. I found these three this week at Old Navy- they are having a huge online sale right now (additional 30% off everything with code OURSTYLE until 9/26) so each of these are marked down from $26.94 to $11.90!

For that price I had to have them- each of these are so adorable and could be worn year round.... I got a plaid shirt from Old Navy last year that I wear all the time- they are so on point with their color choices! No point in buying an expensive plaid shirt from Rails when these are just as cute!! Can't wait to wear these with jeans, leggings or skirts/ shorts while it's still warm!

Be sure to check out their sale for your fall wardrobe- and don't forget about their athletic section. They have my favorite running shorts, tanks, and yoga pants for cheap and I like them much better than the expensive brands! I have their running shorts in three different colors and they are my absolute favorite!!!

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

I am the Artist Chair for the Masquerade Ball for the Junior League of Nashville which is taking place in February of next year. This black tie event is our main fundraiser for the League- it will be
taking place at the Omni hotel and it is a Mardi Gras
theme!

I am in charge of finding artists who want to donate art or make a Mardi Gras mask for our online auction. This is the first time that we are doing an online auction to benefit the Junior League and our event, and it will be separate from the silent auction during the Masquerade in February. I will also be putting together the auction website, and the auction will take place within the next two months. I am asking for your help!

- If you know any artist who is willing to donate artwork or create a Mardi Gras themed mask for our event to be auctioned please contact me ASAP at VirginiaKelley422@gmail.com. You can be a local artist (we can swing by and pick it up from you!) or you can be anywhere in the country if you are willing to ship it to us! We are especially in need of masks!

- Your donation would be so very greatly appreciated and your name will be put on the event website for all to see!

- Tickets for the website will be going on sale soon and I'll let you know when. Both dinner tickets ($200 - includes cocktail hour, fancy dinner, drinks, dancing, hors d'oeuvres) and late party tickets ($80 - includes appetizers, all drinks, and dancing) will be available. Don't worry- late party tickets are not just for the younger crowd and it isn't a separate event- it is for everyone who doesn't want to attend the dinner. I will have my own table reserved for the dinner so let me know if you want to sit with us!

- There will be a live band during the late party, a Mardi Gras themed brass band during the dinner, silent auction, and lots of surprises throughout the night. I don't want to spoil the surprises but from what I've been hearing it will be like nothing you've ever seen. I've been to several charity events and black tie fundraisers before and I have never seen such cool ideas that will be happening that night! Believe me this is a MUST-ATTEND!

- Our committee had a three-hour-meeting last night so we have been working really hard on this event already. Also, if you are a vendor and want to donate an item to our silent auction, please contact me at the email address above! I have been assigned to find atleast 1 item for our silent auction so I will be hunting around town!

Thank you so much everyone for your help. I will keep you posted on this event and the auction throughout the year!

Another exciting event that happened over the weekend was that Ryan Adams released his cover of Taylor Swift's entire 1989 album! These are two of my very favorite artists - I have written so many times about what a fan I am of Taylor Swift- I have ALL of her CDs!! Also, I saw Ryan Adams at the Ryman Auditorium in April and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen in my life! He is absolutely insanely talented. I was really looking forward to seeing what he would do with his own version of Taylor Swift's pop album!

I pre-ordered the album on iTunes so I actually got it downloaded early at 10 p.m. last night (it was released to iTunes at midnight last night)!

My favorite songs on the album are "I Wish You Would", "Style", "Wildest Dreams" and "Welcome to New York". For his fans he was cool enough to upload the ENTIRE ALBUM onto YouTube (you can listen here!) Below you can listen to my favorite songs from his album:

"Style":

"I Wish You Would":

"Wildest Dreams":

"Welcome to New York":

I'm not sure why he didn't cover the song "New Romantics" from Taylor Swift's 1989 cd.. maybe he ran out of time or just didn't like the song! His versions of "Bad Blood" and "Shake It Off" were very unusual and slow - he definitely wanted to try something very different from Taylor's interpretation of the dancy pop songs (listen to his versions below):

"Bad Blood":

"Shake It Off":

As I've said before, my favorite song on Taylor Swift's 1989 albumis "All You Had to Do Was Stay"... ... it is Taylor Swift's favorite song from it too! So I am still waiting for that song to hit the radio.. I didn't like Ryan Adam's version of it, but I really like the rest of the CD. Be sure to check it out here or buy it on iTunes- you get 13 songs for only $10.00!!

What do you guys think of Ryan Adams' version of Taylor Swift's songs?? You can also read this post HERE on BlogHer!

Friday, September 18, 2015

Good morning readers and TGIF! I am so thankful that it's finally Friday.. this week has been never ending. It is time for another Friday Five.. here are some fun thingsthat happened this week:

1. Nashvillians.. mark your calendars for October 18th! Our Junior League of Nashville is hosting Love My League Fashion Night at Belk in the Cool Springs Mall!

Not only will there be a dj and hors d'oeuvres, but everything at Belk will be 20% off! Models will be walking around and there will be a fall fashion showcase. It will last from 5-8 p.m. so come on out and bring your whole family - everyone is welcome! I have already signed up to go. There will be Shop Save Support Cards for sale during the event- be sure to buy one to support the Junior League! You can just drop by or sign up for the guest list here!!!

2.I love this new polish color and I've been wearing it the past 2 weeks:

It is called Get Cherried Away by the OPI Coca-Cola collection. It is inspired by Cherry Coke! What do y'all think of the color?

3.Has anyone else been watching Real Housewives of OC as much as me this year?

There seems to be a recurring issue throughout this season................ do y'all think Brooks really has cancer? Why did the psychic have to bring up the issue in the first place.. and why do they all keep bringing it up when we all know how mad it will make Vicki?? Also... don't these ladies know how rude it is to bring up cancer skepticism in the first place??

4.I just can't quit this Justin Bieber song.. live version below:

It keeps getting stuck in my head. I'm not a fan of the Biebs but I do think its a catchy song. It was also funny seeing him throw a tantrum on GMA before his performance of it last week (see it here). This kid is talented but really needs to change his bad attitude!

5.Y'all. What is going on with Jessica Simpson? I will start off by saying that I am such a fan of herand if I could look like any celebrity in the world it would be her! I love her style, her hair and I have always loved her fashion line and the Newlyweds show!

But......... last night I was watchingher and her mother selling itemsfor the 10th anniversary of herfashion line on the Home Shopping Network and it was a train wreck. Although her mom did a great job, Jessica Simpson kept slurring her words. Seriously... she kept making strange jokes about her wearing diapersor mismatched shoes - she was clearly drunk or under the influence of heavy meds!

I couldn't stop watching because I wanted to see how HSN would handle the situation. I figured this would make the news, and already E! News has reported about it and The Daily Mail too! HSN should have taken her off the air and let her go home and sleep... you can watch a clip below:

Did anyone else catch this last night? I still am a J. Simp fanregardless. Some of her jokes last night were funny, but would be better for a different setting, like NOT while selling clothesin a professional environment like HSN!

Hope you all have a super and safe weekend and I'll see you next week!

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Last month, the marketing team at Rocksbox reached out to me and offered me a free 3-month subscription to their service to try and write about on my blog! I had been hearing about this service for a year now, so I was really excited to try it!

Rocksbox is a jewelry subscription service that gives you three pieces of designer jewelry (like Kendra Scott, Gorjana, House of Harlow, etc.) to wear at a time, for only $19.00/ month. You get to wear them all month and the pieces you love can be bought at 20% off retail! Use my code theritzyglitzyxoxo for 1 free month of the service!

Although I thought no service could top Stitch Fix, I think I like this service even more because you get to wear the items all month long - and you can send the items back as often as you like so you could get several boxes a month to wear!

I am super picky about jewelry (and also allergic to some metals!) so this is why I don't buy jewelry often. But with Rocksbox you get to try out new styles without overloading your jewelry collection or overspending.

When you sign up for Rocksbox you fill out a style profile with your jewelry preferences. They then send you three pieces based on your profile. You wear the pieces as long as you want all month and then return them in the prepaid envelope. You also can give feedback on each piece you receive so the more feedback you give, the better your next box will be.

I already have a gold bar necklace so at first I didn't think I would want this necklace by Moon & Lola. But once I tried it on I realized it is actually a vertical bar necklace and I fell in love! It is really unique, delicate and could be dressed up or down. It has a short chain but not too short. It looks fab with a dress or under a button down shirt. I had to have it so I kept it - I have worn it so many times already!

I LOVE Kendra Scott jewelry so I was really excited to see these earrings in my first box! I also love the turquoise color because it could be worn year round! I was really happy that I get to keep these for $11 off because of the insider's price. I love them and now I can wear them forever!

I love Gorjana but I didn't really like these studs- I didn't like the gold and silver combo, I thought they were a little too small and there was a little too much going on with them. So I am sending these back- I am glad though that I got to try a new style for me.

I can't wait to see what will be in my next Rocksbox.. don't forget that you can try out this service for a whole month for free with my code theritzyglitzyxoxo! You can sign up here!

What do you guys think of what I kept or didn't keep? What do y'all think of the Rocksbox service? Let me know if you have tried it! You can also read this pose here on Blogher!

Monday, September 14, 2015

Can we talk a minute about how my favorite decade for fashion is the 1970s?? I can't tell you enough about how ecstatic I am that 70s fashion is back this fall!!! In high school my very favorite things to wear were colored corduroy, flared jeans and mini skirts. AND NOW THEY ARE BACK IN STYLE! This weekend I was feeling down so I decided to go to the mall to check out the 70's fall fashion in the stores. I got the coolest stuff that I can't wait to tell you about!

I talk all the time about how sick I am of skinny jeans. This spring I told you about how skinny jeans are going out of style. Well, now the time has come. I am so happy that flared jeans are back! Last year you couldn't find a single pair of even bootcut jeans... it was all skinny jeans or boyfriend jeans. Not this year!

Even though I have recently lost 9 pounds from working out and dieting (I still have a ways to go before my goal!), I still can't fit into my high school jeans (it was 11 years ago, after all!) But now my favorite jeans company 7 For All Mankind has brought the flared A-pocket jeans back! FINALLY!

They are almost the exact same as my favorite pair in high school. I went to the store in the mall and tried them on and they fit perfect! Even though they are pricey, it is a great decision to invest in awesome fitting high quality jeans. You can wear them for years until they don't fit anymore! They are SO comfy, aren't too low and I cant wait to wear them with a pair of booties. Click above to see these jeans for yourself!

Another thing I was excited to see at the Express store were sailor skirts! I got the skirts above in both black and rust colors, because they can go with so many tops and accessories! I feel so european when I wear them and they aren't too short, so they are still age appropriate for someone who is 30 like myself! I'm obsessed. Click the links above to shop.

I also saw several pairs of colored corduroy pants when I was in the 7 For All Mankind Store. I adore colored cords because they are SO comfy, but still can be dressed up or down. I really wanted the black pair above but decided to wait.

And SIDENOTE: if you go to the 7 For All Mankind Store and make a purchase they will give you a surprise gift card that is worth between $50- $700! You will find out the amount in October so be sure to stop by and get a card! I will probably get the black cords above once I find out the amount on my gift card.

One other thing that I've been seeing on all the fashion blogs lately are button front suede skirts! I saw the one above at Express.. I wanted to try it on but at this point I had bought enough and didn't want to tempt myself. Click above to see it for yourself.

Are y'all as excited about these 70's trends as me? I feel like these trends are much more comfortable, flattering and stylish for all body types than the skinny jeans/ bodycon trends. Let me know what you think of these styles! You can also read this post here onBlogHer! Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Did any of you catch the premiere of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last night? After 9 months of him being off the air, I was very interested to see how he would go from hosting a 30 minute program on the racy Comedy Central to a one hour talk show on CBS! Well lets just say I was really impressed. Just as I expected, he was hilarious and the premiere has gotten praising reviews. The set is really cool looking and the audience is huge!

Colbert started off his show saying he used to play a conservative narcissist on his last show, but now he is just a narcissist (funny). He then talked about what a fan he is of David Letterman and what an honor it is for him to take over hosting the show. Then some other talk show hosts made some surprise humorous appearances.

Colbert then wentinto making some very funny jokes about some clips of Donald Trump. After that he interviewed Jeb Bush which was a riot. This is because Colbert showed his brother in the audience- and said he loves his brother, a teacher, but they disagree on a lot of political views. He then asked Jeb Bush how he has different views from his brother George Bush...... and then he wouldn't let him get out of the question with a joke.

Jeb ended up stating several reasons on how he disagrees with his brother's views- spending during the second term of his administration, etc. Then Jeb made some funny statements about when he was the governor of Florida. It was really entertaining to watch!!!

Later, Colbert interviewed George Clooney and they made some celebrity laughs, etc. but by this point I needed to go to bed for work in the morning. I made sure that I recorded the rest of the episode!

My only complaint about the show is that it comes on at 10:35 p.m. which is a little late for me on a work night! So I will have to record it to watch it a lot of the time. If you missed the show, you can watch the entire episode here!

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

I hope everyone had a fun Labor Day weekend! We had such a fab weekend visiting my college town in Oxford, Mississippi! I had not been back since 2009 and I was very happy to see that not much has changed there over the years.

We first got in on Friday night and we went straight to eat on the historic Square in Oxford. We ate at Boure, which has moved into the building where Downtown Grill was. We loved the cajun food we had there- the po-boy I had was amazing!!! Then I made sure to show Adam the epic bar, The Library, which grew from one bar to three bars-in-one (sports bar, club and patio bar) over the 4 years that I was a student at Ole Miss. I remember each year that the new section of the bar was built. This is the only bar I have ever been to with so many things going on at once!

After that, since both Parrish's (my favorite bar when I was in college) and Pearl Street have closed in the last few years, we went to have a drink at the Burgundy Room on the square (I have always loved this bar and it has gotten even more fun since I moved!)

Adam and I at the Burgundy Room

Saturday morning we got up and went to The Grove to tailgate on the Ole Miss campus for the Ole Miss v. UT Martin game. If you haven't heard of The Grove, it is one of the most famous tailgating areas in the country! (I wrote a post about it before here!) For every college game day you will find a tent covering almost every square inch of the center of the Ole Miss campus. I wish I had gotten pictures while I was there of the tents- so many of them have chandeliers, tvs and very fancy food!

Us under the walk of champions in The Grove

This was one of the hottest days I have ever experienced tailgating in The Grove. The weather the entire time that day was between 94 and 100 degrees and it felt like a sauna... the type of heat that reminds me of New Orleans. So we ended up skipping the game since it was so bizarrely hot but Ole Miss won big! The heat didn't phase the Ole Miss fans much though, and it was fun seeing so many Ole Miss fans wear white for the white out home game.

My friend Whitney and I in the Grove

After the game we went back to The Library patio bar to get out of the heat. We then went to a new bar called Rafter's to eat which is a brand new bar that I was really impressed by. It has three levels and a cooling steam machine, 10 tvs on every corner, an open area under the sky, etc. inside.

On Sunday we went to Taylor Grocery, which may not look like much but it is well known for having the best catfish in the South. It was a 2-hour wait to be seated (yes- this restaurant is worth waiting 2 hours for!), so many people tailgated as they waited in the parking lot.

Taylor Grocery

Adam and I had already had enough tailgating for the weekend, so we walked around and looked at the little shops and farms near the restaurant. The food was insanely good and the live music was so fun, so I will have to write a later post to tell you all more about it!

On Monday we made sure to visit Rowan Oak, which was the author, William Faulkner's home. It is one of my very favorite places in Oxford and it is dear to my heart. The home is so beautiful that it looks almost fake in pictures!

Us outside of Rowan Oak

The home was built in 1848 and Faulkner lived here from 1930 to 1962. He named the home Rowan Oak after the mythical rowan tree- and he wrote many of his novels and short stories while living here. His notes for some of his writings can still be found on the walls of this home. In the 70s, his daughter sold the home to Ole Miss, where Faulkner went to school, and it is now maintained as a literary and historical landmark by Ole Miss. Oxford and Ole Miss have a huge amount of pride for Rowan Oak and William Faulkner, a native Mississippian, since he is one of the most famous authors in Southern American Literature.

Rowan Oak

Horse barn where Faulkner kept his horses

I made sure to show Adam as much as I could about Oxford during the 3 short days we were there! We are already wanting to go back. If you ever are looking for a random place to visit in a road trip, definitely visit Oxford. Everything about it is so special- there is so much to do (even when it's not football season!) and there is so much great FOOD! I am very lucky to have been able to be a student in such an amazing town that is so fun to visit. I will be sure to write a later post about where to eat in Oxford later on this blog! Thanks for reading! What did y'all do for Labor Day weekend?